Light reflection apparatus

ABSTRACT

Multiple reflections of a thin beam of light are used to establish imaginary boundaries within physically limited space for displays as well as for forming illusory architectural models having conveniently re-arrangeable boundaries.

United Rockne Krebs Inventor 1960 Biltmore St., Washington. D.C. 20009 Appl. No. 860,726

Filed Sept. 24. 1969 Patented Nov. 23. 1971 LIGHT REFLECTION APPARATUS 3 Clalmx. 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl .1 350/299 Int. Cl G02b 5/08 Fleld of Search 350/ l 60.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.417.092 3/1947 Smith 250/221 3.475.029 10/1969 Hyman. 250/222 3.485552 12/1969 Adler 350/160 Primary Examiner- David Schonberg Assismn! Examiner-Michael J. Tokar Auorney-A. C. Smith ABSTRACT: Multiple reflections of a thin beam of light are used to establish imaginary boundaries within physically limited space for displays as well as for forming illusory architectural models having conveniently re-arrangeable boundaries.

PAIENTEUNBV 2s m: 3; 622.228

INVI'TNTOR.

ROCKNE KREBS i ure 2 BY ac. W

ATTORNEY 1 2 LIGHT REFLECTION APPARATUS be aligned to reflect from reflector 33 toward reflector 37. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The light beam may then reflect from reflector 37 through aperture 35 to form a closed form D. E, F within the inner reln accordance with the illustrated embodiments of the B of the sunbtmdihfi- A150 the light beam from laser 27 present invention, high-intensity light beams of substantially 5 may enter thmulh aperture reflect from refleetm 4| uniform small cross section are established between fixed toward reflector 43 and fret" there be reflected thmu8h p reflectors to create illusions of imaginary boundaries that do ture 39 to Produce the Closed These etoeed tbrms not coincide with surrounding physical boundaries. In this B, C, E, F, and J yof courscibedisposed in y imaginary architectural d l f nonmateriai for may desired relative positions either alone or in combination with be conveniently formed and rearranged simply by altering the additional such closed forms to provide an illusion of boundalocation of reflectors within the surrounding physical space. Surfaces in Space which different from the boundaries l h ill i of m i i b d i may b that form the surroundings 9-23. In practice, four-sided forms established within the surrounding physical space for display m y be formed n ang d to fine Wh t may appear to be purposes. I 5 an oblique or converging or irregularly shaped enclosure into which or through which an observer may pass unimpeded.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWWG In another embodiment of the present invention, series of FIG. I is a pictorial view of one embodiment of the invenrttflecttons ofa hght ate used to produce the f' tion for producing open-area. closed forms bounded by light ston Ora bouttded wh'ch extends beyond the beams within an enclosum region; and cal sunoundings. One form of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 is a top View of a passageway including pairs of the top view of FIG. 2 uses a pair of spaced, plane-parallel spaced plane-parallel reflectors for producing the image of a reflectors 5t and 53 nanowjbeam hght sources Such as region which extends without bounds in the directions of the lasers 57 and 59 d'sposed behmd one of the reflectors spaced reflectom Each of the beams from the laser light sources passes through an aperture in the reflector 51 and may be aligned to pass DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT through another aperture (say, one for an adjacent laser) after one or more reflections from reflectors 51 and 53. In the illus- Referring now to the pictorial diagram of FIG. I, there is shown a Structure having p y or material bound Sup trated embodiment, such reflectors 51, 53 and light sources faces which form some portion of the Surroundings the 55-59 are arranged to establish light beams which traverse the width of hall or entranceway to produce to an observer within present invention and which are characterized as the sides of a the co lanar re ion of he reflectors s1 and 53 an illusion of cube having corners 9, ll, l3. l5. 17, I9, 21 and 23. This p g lateral extension without limits of the walls of the hall or en structure may, of course, be an ordinary room having one or tranceway. In similar manner, another pair of spaced, more portals for convenient access. It should be understood. co lanar reflectors 6] and 63 ma be dk sed in a direction however, that since such surroundings merely provide mountp y that is generally skew or normal to the planes of reflectors 5 I in su on for reflectors, such surroundin structure ma hagve 55 Shape or form including bu limited and 53. Laser light sources 65,67 and 69disposed behind one polyhedrons. shapes of revolution or a grouping of posts or of the reflectom 61 produce be Is whlch pt through other substantially isolated. unconnected objects which serve apenutes m the reflector and after one or more merely to Support reflectors reflections between reflectors 61 and 63, may pass out of the In this embodiment of the invention. the illusion of nonlfipt finotherfhpcnure for material boundaries may be established in any desired con- Jacent 3 Z erdset "2 cop figuration by fonning and reflecting thin beams of light around re actors one servmg as e an er setvmg substantially closed paths that define the boundary planes or as the and another t otlaser t may be edges. Ideally. beams of high-intensity light should have thin, ranged 't to that descnbed m connectton t tenet?- substantially uniform cross section over the entire path of the tors and hght Sources arranged on spaced tYalls Thts embodt' light beam in order to delineate sharply the edges 0 n illusqt then ptoduces t observer posltloned the ry boundary thus established Lasers 25' 27 andnqay be pairs of reflectors the illusion that the region around him exused as the sources of light beams having these characteristics, tends bounds "f a t he therefore as shown in FIG. I. These lasers are disposed outside of the suspended It-Space tfmbodtmettt thus deany useful as space or region which is visible within the surroundings 9-23. b entryway t an exhlbtt of technologyor the or at least are disposed outside of the region within the boun- Inter and for the Purpose passageways 71 and 73 y be P dary planes which are formed by Lhe gm beams (as where a vided in the walls of the surroundings to facilitate the movelaser is disposed behind a reflector and both the laser and ment observers through the t reflector are within the surroundings 943). In a preferred emttshoutd be understood that t not essenttat m t' bodiment, a light beam from a laser 23. 25. 27 passes through bodlmehts of the Present fnventloh that a beam f tight P an aperture 29 in one wall 9, II. 13. I5 of the surroundings to out of the bbjeervatlbh regloh through an abel'tute e of impinge upon a reflector 31 which is supported on wall ll. 15. the surrobhftmgs that the e tefleetlohs always be I9, 23. From there, the light beam is reflected to reflector 33 ranged a P Thusas f" the b f h F which is disposed near corner 17. 2| where it is reflected the beams ofllght need not bedlsbosed anneal P through the aperture 29. It is desirable to have the beam of between Pails of reflectors but y arranged t" light from the laser sources enter and leave the inner region of the coplanar l'efleetel's 50 that the entire coplanar area of P the surroundings 9-23 which is visible to an observer therein 0f reflectors are illuminated y multiple beams and Ieflee' substantially at a common location so that only such portion Also, a lightseattelihg medium y be introduced into of the path of the light beam that forms a closed figure A, B. C the Observation r gi formed in accordance i h n m iis visible to an observer. It should be nde tood, h w merit of the present invention in order to enhance visibility of that portions of the beams of light from two or more light the light beams along their paths. Water vapor or dust partisources may be used to define such a closed figure and that the Cl Or th ik may e introdu ed int the obser ation rcclosed figure thus defined may include more than three sides. gion for this purpose and may be particularly desirable to use Indeed. where four or more sides are used to form a closed to scatter the light beams from lasers which have beam power figure. the illusory boundary thus defined need not appear to output levels that are sufficiently low for safe viewing by an be planar but may be arranged to appear twisted or distorted observer. in its spatial orientation. We claim:

In similar manner. the light beams from laser 25 may enter 1. Light-reflecting apparatus which produces for an obthe inner region of the surroundings through aperture 35 and server the visible appearance of boundaries of a region in space that do not coincide with the actual boundaries about the observer, the apparatus comprising:

an arrangement of physical elements disposed about a selected region;

a source of visible light in a beam having a substantially constant cross-sectional area along the path thereof. the source of light being supported with respect to said physical elements substantially out of said region;

means providing an optical pathway into said region for the visible light beam from said source out of said region; and

a plurality of reflectors disposed in said region and arranged along the path of the visible light beam from said source and forming reflection comers along the path of the visible light beam for altering the direction thereof to form within said region a plurality of nonorthogonally skewed planes defined by the incident and reflected portions of the light beam present at the associated reflectors and a light scattering medium disposed in the region within the arrangement of elements for scattering light along the path of said visible light beam to enhance the visibility of said light beam along the path thereof; and wherein said source is a laser which produces the beam of visible light.

2. Light-reflecting apparatus as in claim I wherein:

the path of the light beam from said source passes through an aperture in an element disposed about said region and is incident upon one of said plurality of reflectors and is reflected therefrom toward a succeeding one of said plurality of reflectors; and

the last reflector in a succession of reflectors disposed along the path of the light beam from said source reflects the light beam incident thereon from a preceding reflector substantially toward the optical athway into said region to define a closed form within sai region.

3. Light-reflecting apparatus which produces for an ob server the visible appearance of boundaries of a region in space that do not coincide with theactlial'boundaries about the region, the apparatus comprising:

an arrangement of physical elements disposed about a selected region;

a laser light source supported with respect to said physical elements substantially out of said region for producing a beam of visible light;

means providing an optical pathway into said region for the visible light beam from said laser source substantially outside said region;

a plurality of reflectors disposed in said region and arranged along the path of the visible light beam from said laser source for forming reflection comers along the path of the visible light beam to alter the direction thereof to produce within said region a plurality of skewed planes defined by the incident and reflected portions of the light beam present at the associated reflectors; and a light-scattering medium disposed within said region for scattering light along the path of the visible light beam to enhance the visibility thereof within said region. 

1. Light-reflecting apparatus which produces for an observer the visible appearance of boundaries of a region in space that do not coincide with the actual boundaries about the observer, the apparatus comprising: an arrangement of physical elements disposed about a selected region; a source of visible light in a beam having a substantially constant cross-sectional area along the path thereof, the source of light being supported with respect to said physical elements substantially out of said region; means providing an optical pathway into said region for the visible light beam from said source out of said region; and a plurality of reflectors disposed in said region and arranged along the path of the visible light beam from said source and forming reflection corners along the path of the visible light beam for altering the direction thereof to form within said region a plurality of nonorthogonally skewed planes defined by the incident and reflected portions of the light beam present at the associated reflectors and a light scattering medium disposed in the region within the arrangement of elements for scattering light along the path of said visible light beam to enhance the visibility of said light beam along the path thereof; and wherein said source is a laser which produces the beam of visible light.
 2. Light-reflecting apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: the path of the light beam from said source passes through an aperture in an element disposed about said region and is incident upon one of said plurality of reflectors and is reflected therefrom toward a succeeding one of said plurality of reflectors; and the last reflector in a succession of reflectors disposed along the path of the light beam from said source reflects the light beam incident thereon from a preceding reflector substantially toward the optical pathway into said region to define a closed form within said region.
 3. Light-reflecting apparatus which produces for an observer the visible appearance of boundaries of a region in space that do not coincide with the actual boundaries about the region, the apparatus comprising: an arrangement of physical elements disposed about a selected region; a laser light source supported with respect to said physical elements substantially out of said region for producing a beam of visible light; means providing an optical pathway into said region for the visible light beam from said laser source substantially outside said region; a plurality of reflectors disposed in said region and arranged along the path of the visible light beam from said laser source for forming reflection corners along the path of the visible light beam to alter the direction thereof to produce within said region a plurality of skewed planes defined by the incident and reflected portions of the light beam present at the associated reflectors; and a light-scattering medium disposed within said region for scattering light along the path of the visible light beam to enhance the visibility thereof within said region. 